Dennise Rathbone, Dip. Psych, mBACP
I find myself drawn to working with trauma in its many forms and am often touched and inspired by my clients' ability to transcend the adversity in their lives and grow through the process.
It brings to mind part of a poem by the 17th-century Turkish Sufi poet, Niyazi Misri:
I was seeking a cure for my trouble
My trouble became my cure
The idea that trauma disconnects us from aspects of ourselves resonates strongly with me.
If we don't feel connected to ourselves, we struggle to feel connected to others and to the world around us. Then what happens to those around us, our communities and our environment also matters less to us.
I firmly believe that curiosity and self-compassion are key. This allows us to turn, with an open curiosity, towards the aspects of ourselves or another, which we might otherwise judge or turn away from. There can be no discovery when there's judgement in the way, that's for sure!
In the current climate of uncertainty, I find time spent walking with my dogs in the woods and fields most healing. Nature, in its wisdom, holds the answers, and let us not forget that we are a part of nature, not separate from it. Walk in nature and be still... "and in the silence I heard God's breath."
With warm wishes,
Dennise
My Training, Qualifications and Experience
I hold a Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy from the Centre for Counselling and Psychotherapy Education (CCPE) in London. This integrative and transpersonal training (which took five years) is accredited by both The UK Council for Psychotherapy and The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), the two main bodies responsible for setting the standards for psychotherapy and counselling training and practice across the UK.
In addition, I am a Certified Brainspotting practitioner. Having completed Level 1 and Level 2 trainings, as well as courses on Working with Addictions and Brainspotting with Inter-generational Trauma. I had the opportunity to study and complete my Level 3 training with the exceptional developer and founder David Grand, who came over from America to run the course. For more about this innovative and ground-breaking therapy, click here.
In 2021 I completed a Supervisors Training at the Centre for Counselling and Psychotherapy Education (CCPE) in London, consolidating my previous training and deepening my practice. I am now able to offer individual and group supervision.
I spent four years working at Help Counselling on the Portobello Road in London (founded by Richard Branson) – a registered charity providing affordable short and long-term counselling.
I have run workshops for adults on the topic of ‘Balancing the Inner-Critic with Self-Compassion’.
"When you feel connected to everything, you also feel responsible for everything. And you cannot turn away. Your destiny is bound with the destinies of others. You must either learn to carry the universe or be crushed by it. You must grow strong enough to love the world, yet empty enough to sit down at the same table with its worst horrors."
– Andrew Boyd
Other Useful Links
- I am registered with The UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP).
- I have been fully checked by the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly Criminal Records Bureau).
- I regularly receive clinical supervision with a qualified and accredited supervisor.
- I hold professional indemnity insurance.